ISSUES

Raleigh is one of the best places to live and work. But our continued success depends upon a City Council that will address certain important issues.

I want to help.

Responsible Development

Raleigh is a rapidly growing city. It’s an exciting time to live here. But with that growth comes challenges, like infrastructure and transportation needs. I will advocate for responsible development that is mindful of these needs

Public transportation should be safe and accessible to all, especially to those who rely on it most. Many bus stops in our city lack shelters or lighting, especially in areas that are most dependent upon public transit for connectivity. This is an issue we must address immediately. We must also build more bike lanes, and begin building protected bike lanes, especially downtown, so that our citizens have more safe, diverse transportation options.

I will also work for solutions to protect and increase affordable housing, so that as Raleigh continues to grow, we ensure there remains space and opportunity for all our citizens. We must focus on building density and height downtown and along our transit corridors. Allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) would immediately address some of or affordable housing needs. We should also allow duplex, triplexes, and fourplexes; these types of structures make housing more affordable while also reducing carbon emissions.

Innovation

Our city cannot afford to stifle innovation. We must continue to be a place that is accepting of new ideas and businesses.

Our leaders should come from a place of “yes” when confronted with new opportunities. Sometimes a new opportunity will also create new challenges; recent examples being ADUs, homestays, and electronic scooters. How we address these emergent issues says a lot about our city, and our willingness to innovate and grow. We should work to reach compromise solutions, rather than taking positions that are regressive. Many of these opportunities and challenges are facing other cities throughout the country; some of those cities have handled them well, and other cities have not. We must educate ourselves on best practices. It’s crucial that we get this issue right for continued growth and opportunities for our citizens.

We must also make doing business with our city more efficient, especially as it relates to construction and permitting. Many small business owners simply cannot afford to endure long delays in the permitting and construction process. Our City Council should empower the city staff to streamline this process so that our city remains business friendly.

Equality and Equity

As a community organizer and nonprofit leader, I have seen firsthand what happens when we greet all people with open arms. We must also address inequities in our city, so that everyone who lives here has the opportunity to succeed.

We must ensure that access to city resources is equitable. Many areas in our city have new community centers, with air conditioning, gym equipment, and well-maintained green spaces, while other communities do not. Too often the areas of our city that lack funding and resources are in communities of color. We must address this issue, quickly.

I am committed to confronting injustices facing underrepresented communities and expanding protections for our LGBTQ neighbors. We all share in the responsibility to guarantee Raleigh is a diverse, open and welcoming city for all.

JOIN THE

CAMPAIGN

Let’s work together to create a fairer, more accessible, and progressive Raleigh!